"Strategy is the appropriate allocation of time, technology and resources to create a sustainable competitive position in the marketplace today and tomorrow; easy to say, hard to do."
- from 3SI Strategy Invention Methods
 

About the Book

"No amount of activity is justified or valuable unless it can be directly tied to strategy."

The Art of the Hidden Strategy came as a direct result of the exploration of many years of my own personal failings in communication, primarily as a result of my addiction to "staying busy." I wanted to better understand this faulty mindset, as well as to communicate my findings to others.

 

I first defined the problem, and then developed a methodology to solve it. But I discovered that before I could adequately define the problem, I had to learn the difference between simple, “tangible” activity (STA) and focused “intangible” activity (FIT).

Almost everyone experiences this problem: their day-to-day activities are often not justified. Human beings are addicted to activity - addicted to appearing busy - in order to feel valuable as people. They start off the day by creating lists, either on paper or in their minds, of things they need, should, or would like to accomplish. But the items they list are typically the “tangible” tasks.

These “tangibles” are the interruptions, organizing files, phone calls, meetings, and e-mails that most busy business people spend too much time dealing with. Handling these interruptions and tasks makes us feel as if we've accomplished, yet it has no relative importance to bottom-line result s. Human beings can, in fact, multi-task effectively. However, if the activity we are engaged in has no relevance to the big picture, or what I refer to as "Strategy," then all we have at the end of the day is activity..

The “intangibles” (activities which include reading and developing ideas) can conversely leave us with a sense of being unproductive. To further complicate matters, we often have trouble distinguishing between tangible and intangible activities.

Moreover, most people within an organization have no clear concept of the relevance of what they do with regard to strategy. Unless we can communicate this fundamental idea within the organization itself, we will be unable to create and implement effective strategies.

"The unexamined life is not worth living." Plato

It may well be applied that the unexamined company may not be worthy of a continued existence. This book will provide insights to what we assume we already understand and have thus failed to re-examine adequately.

The concepts of ThreeStrategies are all built on multiples of 3. This is not arbitrary. The three strategies for which our company is named represent a triangle, the sides of which are, in order: Strategy Invention, Strategy Infusion, and Strategy Implementation. Strategy is everything; it is at the heart of everything you do. Triangles represent unity, and a solid foundation. They represent one of the strongest geometric shapes in existence. A fulcrum is a triangle. The Egyptian pyramids are triangular. Spiritual people realize that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost form a triangle. The triangle is the most effective use of a low number of components to yield one of the strongest structures.

Although it may sound presumptuous or even simplistic to suggest that there are only three steps necessary to completely refocus, reinvent, and reposition your company, it is nevertheless true, at least from the perspective of Three Strategies. The synergistic flow between the arms of the triangle form a foundation for your company that is strong, dependable, and most importantly, effective.

(Place this on the sidebar interchangeable with: “ In The Art of the Hidden Strategy, Babcock traces…” because it is in third person and has a different tone.)

The Art of the Hidden Strategy represents another significant contribution to global business literature, among Deming's total-quality focus and Hammel's and Prohalad's reinvention. Readers discover that winning means getting to the future first. And they’ll learn how they can get there long before competition even knows the race is on or the rules to the game.

“An outstanding work with break-through ideas.” – Steven E. Niles, Lt. Colonel (Ret.)

 
In The Art of the Hidden Strategy, Babcock traces the evolution of technology from a mere “operational improvement,” to a prerequisite to competing globally, or even competing at all. The critical traits to business survival are overcoming an innate resistance to change, using technology effectively, recognizing opportunity, and flexibility
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